Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year Lydia Kenny gives a taste of what’s to come on Sunday (November 18th) 7.30pm at her Pittville Pump Room Concert to launch the 2019 contest. During her interview with BBC Radio Gloucestershire presenter Dom Cotter she talks about a year of concerts, acting and travelling – and then plays an excerpt from Schulhoff’s Hot-Sonate.

If you want to enjoy a year like Lydia’s get your entries in for the 2019 Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year. Details and entry forms are on this site and the deadline is midnight on Saturday 1st December 2018.

Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year 2018 Winner saxophonist Lydia Kenny

Entries are now open for the prestigious 2019 Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year and current winner – our brilliant saxophonist Lydia Kenny – is encouraging every young musician to apply!

It’s been an inspirational year for her and the competition has given her fantastic opportunities to improve her playing and performing in public.
“I’d encourage everyone to apply,” she said. “I entered three times and gained huge amounts of confidence and experience each time.”

The contest is open to piano, string, woodwind, orchestral percussion and brass musicians, under the age of 22 years on or before 1st March 2019, of at least Grade 8 standard, who live in or go to school in the county, or receive musical tuition in a recognised musical organisation in Gloucestershire.

Welcome to the new 2018-19 season of Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra which promises to be an exciting one!

Our first concert is on October 11, when we have been invited to take part in ‘Gloucestershire Salutes’ – a prestigious World War I anniversary concert in Gloucester Cathedral. It will feature the orchestra performing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Lark Ascending with distinguished soloist Shulah Oliver. The Gloucestershire Police Male Voice Choir and the D-Day Darlings will also be performing interspersed with speakers including the BBC’s Kate Adie and General Sir Mike Jackson. BBC’s Steve Knibbs will compere the evening.

Gloucestershire Young Musician 2018 Lydia Kenny will be starring in our November 18 concert at Pittville Pump Room performing Erwin Schulhoff’s Hot Sonate for Saxophone. Lydia has played a number of different instruments and roles throughout the season with us and we’re looking forward to her prize concert.

This term ends on December 16 at Cheltenham Town Hall with our Christmas Cracker featuring Mandy Godding’s Theatre Arts dancers performing with the orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Suite. We will also be accompanying Rachel Bowen’s superb Cheltenham Youth Choir and Midlife Choirsis.

We rehearse on Tuesday evenings from 7.30-9.30pm during term time at Elmbridge Primary School, Gloucester GL2 0PE (Sisson Road entrance). Please get in touch if you are interested in joining us.

Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra

The Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1901 by Cathedral organist Sir Herbert Brewer and conducted by Herbert Sumsion, John Sanders and Mark Finch, before Glyn Oxley was appointed in 2014. Since then the orchestra has greatly expanded the scope of its concert giving and performed in more than a dozen venues throughout the county and beyond including in Cheltenham, Cirencester, Gloucester, Stroud, Tewkesbury and the Forest of Dean. Read More…